


The Mark of Cain

by Singerme



Category: Gunsmoke
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-10 22:56:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Singerme/pseuds/Singerme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doc and Kitty run into a situation when they go out onto the prairie to help a pregnant woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mark of Cain

The Mark of Cain

I don’t own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

**Author’s Note: I need to give serious thanks and much gratitude to Glow1012. Without her wise guidance and advice I couldn’t have finished this. Thank you my friend.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

“Morning, Sam.” Kitty called as she descended the stairs and crossed the room to the coffee pot sitting on the bar.

“Good morning, Miss Kitty.” He gave her a puzzled look. “You’re up awful early this morning?”

“Don’t remind me,” Kitty groaned. “I promised Doc I’d go out on a call with him this morning. Mrs. Birchfield’s about due and Doc thinks it could be today. He’s going to go check on her and asked me to go with him in case it is her time and he needs help.”

Sam nodded just as Doc walked in. “Morning, Kitty, Sam. You about ready to go, Kitty?”

“Sure am, Doc. Get yourself a cup of coffee while I grab my hat and my handbag.”

“While Kitty dashed back upstairs for her things, Sam looked over at Doc. “Miss Kitty said you all were going out to the Birchfield’s?” He asked rather fretfully.

“Yeah, Sam, we are.” Doc poured himself a cup of strong black coffee. “I’m kinda worried about Mrs. Birchfield. She didn’t look too good when I was out there last week. I warned her to stay off her feet as much as possible and leave the heavy work alone but I’m not sure she listened to me.”

Sam nodded with a brow even more furrowed than usual. “Is Mr. Birchfield gonna be there? Cause if he is, you all might run into problems. He doesn’t come in here, or any saloon that I know of, but I’ve ran into him around town. He never has a pleasant thing to say to anyone and looks angry most of time. I’ve also heard tell that he’s pulled a gun on folks when he thought they’d disrespected him. I’m concerned with you all going out there.”

With a swipe of his mustache and a sip of his coffee, Doc shook off the barman’s fears. “Oh, don’t worry about us, Sam. We’re just gonna go out there and check on Mrs. Birchfield. You know she’s lost two babies already and I’m afraid if she goes into labor alone….” He sighed sadly. “Well, I just want to make sure, is all. Besides, Cain won’t even be there. From what I was told, he took the stage to Wichita a couple of days ago and hasn’t come back yet.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Doc.” Sam attempted a smile. ‘But still, with the Marshal and Chester out of town…….”

“What about the Marshal and Chester?” Kitty asked as she crossed back over to the two men.

“Oh, I was just saying with them out of town, you two should be careful when you go out today.” Sam answered trying not to show just how worried he was. Even knowing Cain Birchfield was gone, didn’t lessen his concern.

‘Oh, we’ll be fine, Sam.” Kitty took the thought of danger no more seriously than Doc did. “You ready to go, Doctor?”

“Let’s go.” Doc replied as he extended his arm to Kitty and they left the saloon.

Sam watched them go with a troubled mind. Something just didn’t feel right to him. But with Miss Kitty gone, he had to stay and take care of the Long Branch. Shaking his head, he went back to work.

“What were you two going on about?” Kitty asked curiously as she settled into Doc’s buggy and he started it off down the street.

“Oh, he was just worried about Cain Birchfield.” Doc shrugged.

“Well, what about him?” Kitty glanced over at Doc with a concerned frown.

“Oh, nothing really.” Doc shrugged. “It’s just that he’s got a pretty bad reputation around town and Sam was afraid of what would happen if we ran into him today.”

“What would happen?”

“Nothing,” Doc replied easily. “Cause he won’t be there. He took the stage out to Wichita two days back and he won’t be home till late this week, from what I’ve heard.”

Kitty nodded with an easier breath at the news and sat back in the seat, enjoying the ride out in the country.

Three hours later, they pulled up in front of the dilapidated farmhouse the Birchfields called home. “Doesn’t look very prosperous around here, does it?” Kitty noted.

“No, sure doesn’t,” Doc took a swipe of his upper lip as he climbed down from his buggy and headed around to help Kitty down. “Cain seldom has more than two cents to rub together at one time.”

“Then how’d he get the money to take the stage to Wichita?” Kitty asked; puzzled why a man would spend money on a stage ticket and yet leave his wife without food or care.

“That’s a good question,” Doc tugged at his ear as he reached in for his medical bag.

“That’s also none of your business.” A gruff voice sounded from the porch.

Looking up, Kitty and Doc saw Cain Birchfield standing on the porch with a rifle pointed at them. “You two get in the house,” he ordered. “NOW!”

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**Author's Note: I am not a psychologist, although I did consult an actual professional in my literary portrayal of a deranged character. But please bear in mind that this is a work of fiction, meant for entertainment purposes only, and I reserve the right to employ complete dramatic license over factual accuracy for the sake of a good story. For a completely accurate depiction of the deranged mind, visit the nonfiction section of your local library.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kitty glanced fearfully at Doc as Cain Birchfield urgently pointed the rifle at them, his finger on the trigger. Though Doc showed no real visible fear, she could tell by the tightening of his brow and the look in his eyes just how frightened he was.

“I said, get in the house,” Cain demanded again when they didn’t immediately follow his instructions.

Taking Kitty by the arm, Doc helped her up onto the porch and into the house, glaring at Cain as he did so. The smell hit them the moment they entered.

“Oh, God, Doc.” Kitty shuddered. She knew what that smell was.

Doc did too. Glancing at the closed curtain covering the bed alcove in the small house, he turned around to face Cain. “She die naturally or did you kill her?” He asked anger clearly evident in his tone and manner.

“That’s none of your affair, old man.” The belligerent farmer snarled. “I didn’t ask you out here. You shouldn’t be out here.”

“I came for your wife and baby,” Doc sighed. “I see it’s too late for that now.”

“She didn’t do what she was supposed to do.” The man told them. “If she’d only followed my orders, I wouldn’t have had to kill her.”

“What was she supposed to do?” Kitty asked, seeing a wild eyed look about the man that worried her more than the rifle he kept pointed in their direction.

“I told her to get her lazy tail out of bed, get some wood and fix my supper, but she wouldn’t do it. Said she was sick and that he told her to stay off of her feet.” He waved the rifle dangerously in Doc’s direction.

“I knew better than that. She wasn’t sick. She just didn’t want to work. And you put her up to it, old man. What right did you have to try and come between me and my wife?” There was an indistinct mournfulness in his voice mixed in with a heavy dose of anger and indignation.

Doc took a subtle step forward and in front of Kitty. “Cain.” He spoke slowly, carefully and calmly. “Linda was sick in a way. She couldn’t stand on her feet for very long because of the baby.”

“The baby you caused me to kill.” He snarled at Doc. “It’s your fault, old man. If you had of just stayed out of it, she’d be alive.”

“I’m sorry about Linda and if you want, I’d be real happy to send someone out here to help you bury her. But since I can’t help her anymore, I guess, Miss Russell here and I should go and leave you in peace.” Doc spoke softly.

For just a second, Doc thought he was going to actually let them leave. The barrel of the gun dropped an inch and the man stared vacantly down at his feet. Doc took Kitty’s hand and took another step forward, then another.

But instantly the man’s mood changed and the rifle came back up. “Where do you think you’re going?” He snapped at them. “I didn’t tell you, you could leave. Now, get over there and sit down.” He pointed at the only seats in the place, three chairs around a table burdened down with dirty dishes and days old food.

“Have a seat, Kitty.” Doc said quietly as he pulled a chair away from the table for her and took one himself. “Alright, Cain. We’re sitting down. Now what? Why do you want us out here?”

Cain’s head jerked up. “I didn’t want you out here. I never once invited you to come. You came on your own.”

“Then why won’t you let us leave?” Kitty was struggling to maintain as cool and calm a demeanor as Doc and finding it difficult.

“You’re in on it.” He glared at her. “She was a going to leave me as soon that baby got here. I know she was and you were going to help her. You just admitted it. You came for my wife and baby.”

Doc quickly reached over and took Kitty’s hand, holding it tightly in warning. He didn’t want her rising temper to get her killed. “Where is Linda?” He asked the unbalanced man.

“I buried her, if it’s any of your business. Now I’ve got nothing but this place and…..” He paused for a moment and looked at the table and then around to the rest of the room.

To Kitty, he looked for all the world like a man who had suddenly struck it rich as he looked about him and then back at her.

“And you.” His face lit up with a sort of crazed light that frightened not only the saloon owner but the doctor as well.

“You two robbed me, is how I see it.” He looked from one of them to the other. “You, old man. You told my wife to disobey me. You told her she didn’t have to work because she was expecting. It was your fault she disobeyed me.” His voice rose with practically every word.

“And you were going to help him take her from me,” he turned his gaze towards Kitty. “You’re going to do her work. The both of you are going to replace her.”

“What?” Kitty gasped. ‘You’re crazy.” She said before Doc could stop her. “You kill your wife and you want us to replace her?”

Doc tightened his grip on her hand and gave it a determined tug. “Cain,” he spoke in measured tones. “If you need help out here, we’ll be glad to get someone from town to come out and lend you a hand. But Kitty and I…”

“Kitty?” His eyes snapped as he stared at her. “So that’s your name, huh? I’ve heard of you. You were that Marshal’s woman in town.”

Kitty noticed his use of the word “were’ and shuddered at the thought that came to mind.

An evil glint came into the man’s eyes as he raked her body with his gaze. “Well, you’re mine now.” He grinned. “You’re going to take Linda’s place.”

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sam leaned against the heavily polished bar and took his first real break of the afternoon. The day, which had started out quiet, had turned into a hectic and busy afternoon. Though there were still quite a few customers in the saloon most of them were content for the moment with the drinks, cards and girls they had in front of them.

Thinking of the girls, led Sam to wonder about Miss Kitty. He knew the Birchfield place was several hours drive away and that if Mrs. Birchfield had gone into labor than most likely they would be a while yet, still something troubled the craggy faced bartender. Something just didn’t sit right but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Bartender, give me a bottle.” An incoming patron called as he sauntered in and over to the bar. Wearily, Sam shook his head and went back to work, determined to seek some sort of help if Miss Kitty didn’t come back before nightfall.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

“Doc,” Kitty whispered as they worked together to clean the kitchen so that Kitty could prepare dinner. “What are we going to do?” She hazarded a glance behind her to where Cain Birchfield sat rigidly on a chair, gun still solidly pointed at them, watching their every move.

Doc started to answer but heard the chair scrape across the floor as Birchfield rose to his feet. “What are you two whispering about?” He demanded, taking a step towards them.

“She was just asking me to hand her some more dishes.” Doc answered; praying his voice didn’t reflect his fear of the man or the situation. Though a doctor, he was a doctor of bodies, not minds, and he knew very little of what made deranged people like Cain Birchfield tick. He only knew he had to keep him calm. A task that could be made difficult with the frightened and temperamental red head at his side.

But Doc’s answer apparently satisfied the man for the moment, as he returned to his chair and settled back into it. “You two had just better hurry up with those dishes and fix my dinner. I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning.”

Kitty swallowed the caustic comment that came to mind and did her best to ignore her own growing fear and irritation at being held hostage by an arrogant man with a rifle and a volatile temper. Feverishly examining her current situation, she couldn’t think of a way out, yet. But she refused the thought that there wasn’t a way. The alternative was too bad to even contemplate.

Doc took an uncertain glance over at Kitty. He could see the worry and anger in her expression but he recognized the squaring of her shoulders and the set, determined face. She wasn’t going to panic. For that he was grateful. He knew he, and she both, would need to keep their wits about them, if they were to not only survive but also escape this mad man.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sam leaned against the back bar and tiredly placed his bar towel down beside him. It had been an extremely busy night, made even more hectic by the absence of the saloon’s beautiful owner. Looking across the room, he noted one lone drunk at a corner table and two leaning hap-hazardly against the bar. Time to close up he decided.

Hustling the drunks at the bar out was easy. They went with little fan-fare. But the one at the table proved to be more of a challenge, only agreeing to go with the greatest reluctance and a firm shove from Sam.

Once the doors were locked and the lamps blown out and the money secured in the safe, Sam let himself out of the back door, locking it securely behind him. Though the evening was pleasant, his mind wasn’t on the weather.

Miss Kitty should’ve come back by now and he had it in mind to get his horse and head in the direction of the Birchfield farm, regardless of the time of night. He was too worried about her to do anything else.

He never made it the stable however. Two steps down the darkened alley and he grabbed for the back of his skull before falling face first into the dirt. The drunk from earlier stood unsteadily over him for several moments, staring at the man who had pushed him out the bar. “That’ll teach ya,” he sneered as he stumbled off.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

“You know, Mr. Dillon,” Chester said, wiping his brow of non-existent sweat, “I’ll sure be glad to get back to Dodge. This ain’t been no easy trip.”

Matt looked over at his complaining friend and shook his head. “Chester, we only rode over to Cimarron and back. One day there and one day back in good weather with no one chasing us and us chasing no one. That does not make this a bad trip.”

“Well, golly, Mr. Dillon,” Chester protested. “It may have been an easy trip for you but it sure weren’t for me. I’m plum tired of sitting in this here saddle.”

Matt shook his head again, but kept his silence. Chester was in a mood to complain and it was easier to let him.

“Ya reckon we’ll be back before dark?” Chester glanced over at Matt, praying he’d say yes. His cot in the jailhouse was a lot more comfortable than the hard ground.

“Not if you keep complaining and dawdling along.” Matt answered acerbically. Matt noticed that Chester had the good grace to look chastised and shut up but he also noticed his assistant picked up his pace a little. “You got a date tonight, Chester.” Matt teased.

“Me?” Chester looked over at his boss with a frown. “There ain’t no gals in Dodge worth datin’ right now, Mr. Dillon.” He thought about Kitty. “Well, exceptin' Miss Kitty and well, she don’t really count.”

“Why doesn’t she count?” Matt was curious about his reasoning.

“Well, because, you know. Miss Kitty’s… well, she’s…” He looked over to see his boss studying him intently and looked away quickly. “Well she just don’t, that’s all.”

Matt chuckled but let it drop. He knew that Chester and several other people understood how it was between him and Kitty and as far as a large portion of the Dodge City populace was concerned, Kitty was taken. “Let’s get home, Chester.” He grinned. “We can get a good’s night sleep then maybe tomorrow you can find that girlfriend. I mean, besides Miss Kitty.”

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Kitty sat rigidly in the chair she had been tied to and looked worriedly over at Doc. The bruise on his cheek was getting darker and it served as a vivid reminder of how violent the man was that held them there.

Earlier, when Birchfield had slapped Kitty for nervously dropping a dish, Doc had forgotten the danger and stood up for her. Birchfields’s response was to punch Doc twice in the face. “You okay?” she asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” Doc tried to give her a smile of encouragement despite the pain of a split lip and sore jaw. “How about you?”

“Hum,” Kitty looked down. “I’m tied to a chair and worried half to death about what that maniac is going to do to us next. But other than that I’m just fine.”  She retorted

Doc didn’t answer. He understood how difficult this was. He was just grateful she had managed to hold her tongue until after Birchfield had gone out back to the privy.

Shaking her head, Kitty regretfully brought her gaze back up to meet Doc’s. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“Don’t you worry about me, young lady.” Doc’s voice took on a strength he didn’t really feel. “I’ll be fine and so will you. Somehow, we’ll find a way out of this. We just have to keep him calm and not rile him, don’t even look him in the eye if you can help it. He’s unbalanced, Kitty. Our only hope is to keep him calm until someone comes out here to find us.”

Kitty looked over at him a little puzzled for a moment before it dawned on her. Sam! They had told Sam where they were going and if she knew Sam, he would either come himself or send someone when she didn’t come back. Breathing a little easier, she managed a tremulous smile in Doc’s direction until she heard the back door open and Birchfield coming back in.

“You two comfortable?” he sneered at them as he walked in.

Neither of his prisoners answered but kept their heads down, avoiding any direct eye contact. For several moments, Cain stood and watched the two, paying particular attention to Kitty. “You know,” he mused. “You’re not bad looking. Little taller than my Linda but that doesn’t matter.”

Though never one to avoid defiance in the face of villains, Kitty kept her head down and her eyes downcast. She didn’t need to see the man’s face to know his thoughts and she wasn’t about to provoke him.

After several more minutes of silence, Cain finally sighed and took a step back. “If you’re gonna take Linda’s place, I’m gonna have to teach you a few things about how to please me.”

Kitty held her breath. The thought behind that statement scared her more than anything else he’d done so far. Looking up she glared at him as she noted the leering way in which he was staring at her and was instantly sorry she raised her head as he slapped her.

“Keep your head down, woman.” He growled. “You don’t do spit until I tell you to. You understand?”

It was all she could do to purse her lips and keep quiet but she managed to do just that and merely nod.

Birchfield grinned as she dropped her head again. “You may take a little more time to train than Linda did but I think you’ll work just fine.”

Doc was in turmoil. Every fiber of his being wanted to tear into the man, but he was bound tightly and unable to lift a finger in Kitty’s defense. And he was afraid anything he said would result in even worse treatment from Birchfield for the two of them. He kept his silence with the greatest of difficulties.

For a while longer Birchfield stood and stared at the beautiful red head before nodding to some unasked question. Stepping behind her, he quickly removed the rope holding her to the chair but left her hands tightly bound together in front of her. Pulling her to her feet, he began to drag her towards the cot set up in the corner.

Kitty fought his touch as well as the direction of his steps, kicking her feet wildly, screaming for him to let go. Doc, raised his voice with hers until Cain, having reached the cot, threw Kitty up on it and stepped back over to Doc, sharply hitting him across the face.

“Shut up, old man.” He warned dangerously. “She’s gonna have to get used to being with me. She’s gonna take Linda’s place in every way, including that one.”

Doc glowered at the lunatic and opened his mouth to protest again, until he saw Kitty violently shaking her head no.

She had an idea Birchfield would hurt Doc, worse than he already had, if he were to say anything more. “It…it’s alright, Doc.” She said shakily. “He’s right, I….” She swallowed hard. “I have to get used to… to things.” She knew she would never get used to being anywhere near Cain Birchfield, but she was determined to keep him from hurting Doc, no matter what she had to do.

Cain laughed sharply as he turned and looked at the woman lying on his bed. “You got that right.” He snickered. Stepping back over to the cot, he pulled her to her feet and grabbed the worn blanket off of the top which still had dark brownish red stains on it, and threw it on the floor.

“You’re gonna have to do some laundry tomorrow, sweetheart.” He pulled her up against him and bent his head towards her. “But we’ll worry about that tomorrow.” He forced his lips on hers painfully in what she assumed he considered to be a kiss.

Kitty fought hard to keep the bile down as he kissed her then pushed her back down on the cot, securely tying her hands to the head of the small bed. Settling in with her, he pulled her close and wrapped an arm possessively around her middle. Kitty braced herself for more as he lay behind her but within minutes his grip on her waist relaxed and she could hear the  deep even breaths of a man fast asleep.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Morning came sooner than she wished. Though Birchfield had been restless during the night, mumbling in his sleep and striking out at unseen assailants, he had _slept_ , leaving her relatively unscathed. She of course got no sleep at all but she was at least untouched by this menace. She considered it an even trade.

But now he was up, his voice rising in anger. "Why?" he demanded of no one as he whirled around the room staring at shadows. "Why?"

Doc slowly raised his head and looked at the man in alarm. "Why what?" he asked.

Birchfield stopped and looked at Doc as though seeing him for the first time. "What are you doing here?" he looked at Doc suspiciously. "Who invited you here? Linda, why is he here?" He called over his shoulder.

Kitty noted that he called her Linda and realized he was rapidly getting worse in his delusions.

He took a couple of threatening steps towards the helpless physician when Kitty spoke up. "He's here for me, Cain. Don't you remember? I… I… I was sick. You wanted him to come out here and have a look at me?"

Birchfield whirled around and stared at her. "You're never sick, Linda." He snapped at her. "Never."

"And I'm not now," Kitty quickly agreed. "But that's because you called Doc out here. He took care of me like you wanted him to."

Birchfield's glare turned to a look of total confusion. " _I_ called him here?"

"Yes," she insisted. "Please, Cain, you did. But it's time he went home now. It's late and he has other patients."

Doc understood what Kitty was trying to do and he held his breath, uncertain as to whether it would work or not. He was afraid to add his voice to hers as he didn't know what this man would do next. Watching him closely, he sensed he wasn't far from doing something as bad as killing his wife and unborn child.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Matt and Chester made it back to Dodge in the early hours of the morning, tired from the long dusty trip and much later than they had planned. A problem with Chester's saddle cinch took some time to fix. After taking their horses to the stable and caring for them, they both headed for the jail to turn in.

"You sleepin' in the jail, Mr. Dillon?" Chester asked when Matt sat down on the extra cot and began to pull his boots off.

"Yeah, you got any objection to that?" Matt asked with some irritation. With Chester watching and no lights at the Long Branch, Matt decided a nap on the jail cot would have to do him.

"Well no," Chester looked a little abashed. "Just wondering." Even after long trips, Mr. Dillon didn't usually sleep at the jail.

"Well quit wondering, Chester. It's late or early or what ever and I'm tired. Let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Yes, Sir," Chester answered.

As he settled into his cot, Matt decided today he was taking a few hours off. Though this last trip hadn't been overly long, it had been made uncomfortable by Chester's constant complaints and the weary lawman decided he needed a break.

He figured a few hours in the company of a certain red head, just might set him right again. With that happy thought, he closed his eyes and was soon asleep. However his rest was short lived.

Barely an hour had passed when a loud banging came at the door. "Marshal! Marshal!"

"Go away!" Chester yelled from the cot opposite him, as he rolled over and attempted to get back to sleep. But the banging continued.

Groggily, both men got up and Matt found his way to the door. Opening it, he found Louie Pheeters almost frantically dancing in the doorway. "Louie!" Matt said, taking the man by the shoulders. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"Ya gotta come, Marshal." Louie panted. "Ya gotta. It's Sam. He's dead!"

Chester, who had just gotten up, gasped as Matt pulled Louie completely into the jail. "Louie, are you sure? Where?"

"He's in the alley, behind the Long Branch." Louie was almost in tears. "It's terrible, Marshal. It's terrible. He's dead! Sam's dead!"

Matt stumbled back over to his cot, and reached for his boots. "Chester, go get Doc." Matt told his assistant as he hastily put his boots and vest on and grabbed his hat on the way out of the office. "Louie, stay here."

As he ran across the street and through the alley, one thought came to mind. If Sam was hurt, or as Louie said, dead, what about Kitty?

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

When Matt reached the alley way, he found Sam, as Louie had said, lying in the shadows behind the Long Branch. However, much to his relief and not as Louie had said, Sam was alive but unconscious. “Sam, Sam.” Matt gently patted his cheek, but Sam remained oblivious to his efforts.

“Mr. Dillon,” Chester called as he hobbled down the alley towards him. “Where are you?”

“Down here, Chester.” Matt responded. “You get Doc?”

“No, Sir,” Chester answered as he approached. “He weren’t up there. He weren’t no where around and there weren’t no note neither. I don’t know where he got off to. What, do you reckon, happened to Sam?”

“Well, I don’t know for certain,” Matt answered as he gently began to pull the bartender up. “But he’s unconscious and he needs Doc. Help me get him up and we’ll take him up to Doc’s office anyway. Maybe Doc just had an early call and will be back before long.”

“I sure do hope so,” Chester said as together, he and Matt, lifted their unconscious friend and began to carry him down the alley.

Once the two men had Sam settled on Doc’s examining table, Matt grabbed some cloth and some of Doc’s supplies gently trying to clean the wound on Sam’s head.  Although not a physician, he’d been hit in the head enough himself to know more than a little about tending to head wounds.  The gash was deep but Matt was pretty sure it wasn’t life threatening.

“Chester,” Matt said as he applied the cloth to Sam’s head.  “Stay here with Sam.  I’m gonna go over and check the Long Branch.  Sam was coming from there and I’m worried about Kitty.”

“You don’t reckon nothing happened to her, do ya?” Chester asked, shaken by the idea. 

“I don’t know,” Matt answered fretfully.  “I hope not.  Keep an eye on Sam here and I’ll be back.”

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

For several long minutes, Cain Birchfield stood in total confusion as he looked back and forth between Kitty and Doc.  His sleep, filled with strange dreams, hadn’t been restful, making it hard to concentrate.  Too many voices had whispered urgently into his ears telling him things he couldn’t always understand and wasn’t sure he wanted to. 

Then, listening to one of those voices that Doc and Kitty couldn’t hear, he nodded furiously in agreement.

“That’s right.” He said his eyes feverish with excitement. “That’s right. He came out here to take you away from me. I remember now.” He looked back over at Kitty. “He tried to get you to leave me.” He said. “But I out smarted him. You aren’t going anywhere, are you?”

“No!” Kitty struggled to keep her voice even. “No, Cain. I’m… I’m not going anywhere. But you’re wrong about Doc. Honest; he just came out here to check on me.”

Birchfield’s eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “I’m never wrong about anything, Linda. I would’ve thought you’d learned that by now.” Taking a couple of steps towards the bed, he raised his fist towards the helpless woman tied to the bed.

“Cain!” Doc called to stop him from hitting Kitty. “She’s going to have your baby, remember?”

Birchfield swayed for a moment, and blinked his eyes. Confusedly, he looked at Kitty. “She’s pregnant?”

“Yes,” Doc assured him. “And she has lots of work to do around here before the baby comes.  You hurt her and she can’t do any of it.”

“That’s right…..” Cain nodded. “She has work, lots of work. We’ve got to get this place cleaned up. I’ve let her slack off for far too long.” 

“Do you have a list, Cain?” Doc asked suddenly. “I mean, how are you going to know when she’s got all her chores done if there’s no list?”

Cain narrowed his eyes at him. “I’ll know.” He said decidedly.

“But how will you know for sure?” Doc insisted. “You know, women sometimes can make you think they’ve done everything but really they didn’t. It’d be a shame if you had to punish her for lying to you, just because you didn’t have a list.  It wouldn’t be good for the baby.  For your _son_.”  Doc put special emphasis on the word son.

Kitty held her breath. She understood Doc was trying to stall for time. If he actually sat down to write ‘The List” it would give them a little breathing space. Keeping her mouth firmly closed, she said nothing, instinctively knowing it could cause problems for both her and Doc.

Cain swayed a little more, then cocked his head, once again listening to voices no one, but he, could hear.  “Yeah, that’s right.  I do need a list.”  Looking around him, he made his way to the one lone cabinet in the place, searching fruitlessly for paper and pencil.  “I can’t make a list!” He said in frustration.  “I don’t have any paper.  I need paper!”

“Maybe there’s some in the barn, Cain.” Kitty spoke up.  “I’ll go out and look for you, if you want.”

Cain whirled around and looked at her rather strangely.  “You need to rest.” He said.  “I’ll go look.”  Turning he lurched out of the house. 

Doc waited for several moments to make sure he was out of earshot to speak.  “Kitty, you okay?” 

“I’m alright, Doc.” She said with a ragged breath.  “He didn’t really touch me.  But Doc, I’m scared.  What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to keep our wits about us,” Doc answered.  “We need to keep him busy.  If he can’t concentrate on any one thing for too long, we stand a chance till someone gets out here.”

“You mean, **_if_** someone gets out here.” She said a little dispiritedly. 

“Now you stop that, young lady.” Doc admonished her gruffly, to hide his own worry.  “Some one will come.  You mark my words.”

Kitty kept her silence as she prayed Doc was right.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Matt was back at Doc’s shortly after leaving.  Kitty wasn’t in her rooms and there was nothing to indicate that she had been there for a while.

“What are we gonna do, Mr. Dillon?”  Chester asked, casting a concerned eye on his employer.  He knew Mr. Dillon cared about Miss Kitty.

“I don’t know, Chester.” Matt said.  “I have no idea what…..”

Just then Sam groaned as he began to regain his senses. 

“Sam,” Matt stepped close.  “Sam, what happened?”

“Miss Kitty,” the barman moaned.  “Got to go…  find her.”

“Where, Sam?” Matt grasped his shoulder.  “Where?”

Sam managed to pry one eye upon and focus on Matt for a moment.  “Cain… Birch… field’s.” He got out before the darkness reclaimed him.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Though exhaustion weighed him down, Matt wasted no time in rushing back to the stable, saddling his horse and riding out, leaving a bewildered Chester to watch over Sam. He had no idea what Kitty was doing out at Cain Birchfield’s place, or how Sam got hurt, or anything else. He did know that Cain Birchfield was a dangerous man and one to avoid. Which made Kitty’s visit out there incomprehensible. He had no idea why she would go anywhere near the place.

All he knew right then, was the churning in his stomach that warned him Kitty was in danger and needed him. That feeling alone was all he needed to spur him on.

Racing madly across the prairie, he focused on the animal beneath him and the road before him, refusing to even contemplate what could be happening to Kitty at the hands of a man like Cain Birchfield.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Cain returned from the barn, fifteen minutes after leaving, with a grimy piece of paper and a stubby pencil in his hand. Where he came up with it, heaven only knew. Sitting down at the table, he began to scribble almost frantically across its surface.

When he was satisfied he had completed his task, he laid the paper carefully on the table and rose, going back over to the bed, where Kitty still lay, tied to the bedpost. Grabbing a knife from the small bedside table, he cut the ropes that bound her and pulled her to her feet. “I got your list done, Linda.” He said almost in a sing song voice. “You got a lot of chores to do so you’d best get started.”

Kitty swallowed hard but said nothing as she stood up and stepped around him, starting towards the table. However she only obtained a few steps before Cain reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him. “What? No good morning kiss for your husband?” he grinned as he dropped his lips towards hers.

Kitty allowed the invasion, holding her breath until he pulled away. Taking a shuddering breath, she hastily moved away and towards the stove. “Would you like me to fix you some breakfast, Cain?” She forced a cheerfulness to her tone that sounded fake to hers and Doc’s ears but Cain accepted.

Watching her for a few moments longer, Cain finally nodded his head. “Yeah, Linda, I sure would. How about some eggs and biscuits and gravy?”

Kitty looked around the desolate kitchen, seeing nothing that she could use to make such a breakfast, but keeping her tone light, she nodded. “Sure, Cain. But I’ll have to go out to the barn and get some eggs. There aren’t any in here.”

Cain’s brow furrowed for a moment, before he shook his head. “No, no. You get the fire going and I’ll go out and gather the eggs.”

“Alright,” she forced a smile onto her trembling lips as she turned to face him. Cain grabbed a ragged wicker basket from the cabinet and left. Kitty stayed still for several moments before hurrying to the window to see him, heading towards the barn.

Running across the room, she quickly untied Doc’s hands and helped him up. “Doc, you gotta go.” She whispered frantically. “Your buggy’s still outside.  He didn’t do anything with it yesterday. Go on, I’ll distract him somehow.”

“No,” Doc said stubbornly rubbing the tender flesh of his wrists where the rope had cut into them. “We both go.”

“Doc,” Kitty tried to reason with the stubborn physician, “he’ll come after us. I’ll stay and keep him here. You go after help.”

Doc merely shook his head as he grabbed Kitty by the hand and started for the door. “We both go,” he stated emphatically.

Seeing the futility of an argument, Kitty nodded. “Alright.”

They had only crossed half the length of the small room however, when the door opened and Cain stepped back in, empty basket in his hand. “We don’t have any chickens, Linda. I’ll just….” He stopped when he saw Doc and Kitty standing there. “What’s this?” He demanded. “Who said you could get up, old man?”

Kitty stepped forward and a little in front of Doc. “He…” she swallowed hard. “He has to go and get me some wood for the stove, Cain.” She said, inching towards him. “Remember? You said he should go.”

Cain shook his head vehemently. “No!” He declared. “I don’t want him up.”

Thinking quickly, Kitty nodded. “You’re right, of course.” She readily agreed. “I should go out and get the wood while he starts breakfast. Go on over to the stove, Doc and get started.  I… I’ll get some wood.” Kitty made two swift strides towards the door before Cain stopped her.

“No.” He stated again. “No, you’re not getting out of my sight.”

“But, Cain,” Kitty insisted, doing everything in her power to keep the man’s attention focused on her. “We need wood if I’m  to fix you breakfast. Please.”

Cain Birchfield stood swaying slightly as he tried to listen to not only the woman in front of him but the voices that were becoming increasingly louder in his ears. Though he’d always heard those voices and to varying degrees followed their dictates, they had never been as loud and demanding as they now were. Shaking his head, much as a dog would to rid itself of water, he finally raised slightly bloodshot eyes to Kitty. “You two stay here.” He snapped. “I’ll get the wood.”

As Cain turned, Kitty saw perhaps the only chance she might have at ending the nightmare, she and Doc had landed in. Grabbing the lamp sitting on the table beside her, Kitty raised it and smashed it against the back of the lunatic’s skull. “Run, Doc,” she screamed as Cain, grabbed his head and begin to turn back towards her.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Matt continued to spur his tired mount into as fast a pace as possible, until finally he reached the Birchfield’s farm. Swiftly dismounting, he crept carefully into the yard, pulling his gun as went. Looking around, he saw no sign of anyone save Doc’s buggy, parked outside of the front door, the horse’s head hanging dispirited down as though it had been there a while.

Crouching in the cover of a lone bush in the front yard, he watched the front door and took careful aim when it started to open. Standing up quickly, he raised the gun and aimed. “Hold it!” He demanded.

“Matt?” Kitty called. “Matt, that you?”

“Kitty?”   Re-holstering his gun Matt ran across the yard and pulled her into his arms as Doc came out onto the porch behind her. “Are you okay?” He asked, worried eyes anxiously scanning her form for any sign of injury.

Kitty nodded. “I’m okay. We’re okay.” She corrected herself, looking over at Doc as he approached.

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Doc gave her a relieved smile. “But Cain Birchfield isn’t, Matt.”

Doc didn’t elaborate but Matt understood by the look he gave him. Hugging Kitty tighter for just a moment, he finally released her into Doc’s embrace. “You two stay right here for a moment.”

Walking cautiously into the house, he noticed the rank odor and the sparse furnishings but more importantly, he noticed the man lying on the floor of the shack. A bleeding wound on his head and one in his back. Bending down for a moment, he confirmed what Doc’s expression had already told him. Cain Birchfield was dead.

Taking another swift glance around, he exited the house and closed the door tightly behind him. Walking back out to where Doc and Kitty still stood, he jerked his thumb back towards the shack. “You all want to tell me what happened?”

“Not right now, Matt.” Doc said casting a meaningful glance in Kitty’s direction. “Let’s go back to town. We can send someone out here for him and then we can talk.”

Matt nodded as he took Kitty’s arm, and helped her over towards Doc’s buggy and up into the seat. “Let’s go home,” he said softly to her.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

That evening, Matt, Doc and Kitty sat around a small table in the back of the Long Branch relaxing for the first time that day. Sam was at home, nursing a concussion and Matt had dispatched Chester to go over and sit with him for a while.

After making sure that Doc and Kitty had made it back to town safely, Matt rounded up Chester and Percy Crump and returned to the Birchfield farm to pick up and take care of Cain’s body.

While there, they also discovered a shallow grave in the back of the place, which held the body of Linda Birchfield and her unborn child. The three men dug the grave deeper and respectfully laid the woman to rest. Cain was placed in the back of Percy’s wagon to be buried later up on Boot Hill. Matt couldn’t bring himself to place such a vile man as that next to his victim.

Doc and Kitty told Matt everything that took place at the farm from the moment they got there until Matt showed up the next morning. Matt was aghast at what had happened and what could have happened, had they not managed to stop the raving mad man that held them hostage.

“So, when you hit him on the head with the lamp,” Matt was trying to get it all sorted out in his mind, “it didn’t even phase him?”

“Well, it did a little,” Kitty shook her head at the memory. “But not by much. He kinda just stood there for a minute and then turned around and grabbed me by the arms.”

“When Kitty started to fight him he got really angry,” Doc picked up the story. “He wrangled her over to the bed and threw her down then grabbed for the rope so he could tie her up again. That’s when I saw the rifle laying on the floor where he’d dropped it. I grabbed it and when his back was to me, I fired.”

Kitty took a ragged breath as the image of the enraged man standing above her, with his hands stretched towards her, played in the back of her mind. “Even after Doc shot him, I didn’t think he was going to go down. He stood there for the longest time before he finally just crumpled and fell to the floor.”

“To be honest,” Doc added. “Although I knew my shot was a good one, I still wasn’t sure he was dead, until I got Kitty away from him and checked his pulse. That blow she dealt him with the lamp should have at least knocked him down but he just turned and looked at her.”

“Doc, what do you suppose was wrong with him?” Matt asked.

Doc took an agitated swipe of his mustache. “Matt, I could put all the knowledge we currently have on how the mind works into this shot glass and still have room for another drink. I know he was insane. But just exactly why or how it happened, or even why he went downhill so quickly,, may never be known. Or at least not in our life time.”

Kitty took a sip of her drink before looking over at Matt. “I know you sent some wire’s off, have you gotten any responses yet? I mean on where he came from or anything?”

“Nope,” Matt shook his head. “Not yet and maybe never. Only thing I ever knew about him was that he moved here from Carthage, Missouri. I sent a wire there and one to St. Louis just to be on the safe side, but we may never know any more about him than we do right now.”

“And that’s not much,” Kitty noted.

“No, it’s not.” Doc agreed. “Maybe if we did know more about him, we could figure out what caused him to snap the way he did.”

“What good would that do?” Matt asked. “The man’s already dead. And to tell you the truth, I’m not really too upset about it.” He looked over at Kitty, letting her know in one glance how he felt about the demise of any man that would hurt her. “That man was mean even before he snapped. Mean and arrogant and one of the hateful-lest people I’ve ever met.”

“I know,” Doc agreed. “But he wasn’t just born that way. Something had to happen in his life to turn him that way. And I firmly believe that if we could figure out what could cause someone to be the way he was, maybe we could one day figure out a way to help others who might be in the same circumstances and stop them from becoming another Cain Birchfield.”

Matt shrugged as he looked from Kitty over to Doc. “Well, maybe. But that’s going to take more than I’ve got to do it. I’m just glad he was stopped before he did any more damage.”

Once again his eyes traveled over to Kitty and she could feel the love and relief in his gaze. Reaching under the table, she grabbed the hand he had rested on her knee and squeezed tightly before releasing it and pulling herself to her feet. “Well, I’m sorry for the death of anyone, even him, but it’s over now, and I for one and glad for it. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I’m going to call it a night.”

Matt looked up at her with a slight frown. “You going to bed this early?”

“It’s after eleven,” Kitty replied with a sly smile, “I wouldn’t call that very early. Besides, by the looks of the crowd in here, I think Fred can handle things. And Doc?” She arched a brow. “If you ever need help with another pregnant woman, don’t hesitate to ask **_someone else_**. I think I’m through helping for a while.”

Matt glanced around at the almost empty saloon. “Well, I guess I should going along myself.” Rising, he looked over at the woman beside him with a slight smile. “See ya later, Kitty?’

Kitty grinned, tossed her shoulders and headed for the stairs. “If you’re lucky, Cowboy.”

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Three weeks after Cain Birchfield was buried, with little fanfare, on top of Boot Hill, Matt received a letter. It was from the newly elected Sherriff of Carthage, Missouri, the old one having died six weeks earlier. Apologizing for taking so long to respond, he went on to give Matt the few facts he was able to discover about the strange man called Cain Birchfield.

Apparently he had been the youngest son of a wealthy man from ‘Back East’.  Where ‘Back East’ was anyone’s guess. Obviously well-endowed with wealth and good looks, it hadn’t taken him long to lose both after he had shown up in Carthage some ten years prior. Some said, he had seen and done too much in the war, but no one really knew.  They only knew he was odd and kept mostly to himself.  How he ever got one woman, much less three, to marry him, was a mystery.

The woman he brought with him and whom he claimed to be his wife was a small but pretty thing, however she didn’t last long. She died under mysterious circumstances and it wasn’t long before he wed again. This woman left him, apparently, in the middle of the night. Though there was no way to actually prove that, since she was never heard from again.

A few months later, Birchfield himself left in the middle night, taking with him what few things of value he still possessed and disappearing completely. No trace of him was left behind.

The same night he disappeared a young woman by the name of Linda Hill went missing as well. Her father was convinced she had left with Cain Birchfield but as she was over the age of twenty one and there was no proof she left with Birchfield, the former Sherriff had declined to go looking for her. Nothing was ever heard from her again either.

As Matt folded up the letter and placed it back inside it’s envelope, he was fairly certain he knew where Linda Hill was now and the thought saddened him. He decided he would swing by the telegraph office and send a wire to the Sherriff to let him know and ask him to contact her family.  Not good news for them certainly, but perhaps it would help.

What had turned Cain Birchfield from a wealthy scion of society to a raving lunatic, no one might ever know. But the mark’s he’d left on the citizens of both the towns of Carthage, Missouri and Dodge City, Kansas would most likely not be forgotten soon.

The End.

**Author’s Note:  Carthage Missouri really does exist.  By the Civil War it had over 500 residents.**


End file.
